UK Parliament / Open data

Psychoactive Substances Bill [Lords]

I thank the Minister for that. I support the Bill, but I am slightly concerned about clause 8, which says

“the person intentionally imports a substance,”

and

“the person…intends to consume the psychoactive substance for its psychoactive effects”.

It seems to me that if someone imports and possesses even a small amount of the substance over the internet he is criminalised, but if he bought it in a head shop, for example, he would not be criminalised, which seems to be a strange provision. My hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow North East (Anne McLaughlin) is trying to make the point that we support provisions to deal with people who have these substances with intent to supply, or are supplying them to people in an evil trade, but to criminalise people for having small amounts of those substances is slightly dangerous.

About this proceeding contribution

Reference

600 c739 

Session

2015-16

Chamber / Committee

House of Commons chamber
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